The Legend of Azzurrina at Castello di Montebello

Castello di Montebello, also known as Castello di Guidi di Bagno, is a medieval castle located in the territory of the ancient Malatestian signoria of Rimini. The castle rises on a hill 436 meters high, dominating the village of Montebello di Torriana. It belonged to the Malatesta and the Guidi di Bagno, serving as the center of the eponymous county.

The first mention of the manor is in a notarial document from 1186, in which Ugolinuccio di Maltalone sold it to Giovanni Malatesta, congiunto di Malatesta "Mastin vecchio", an authentic ancestor of the Rimini family. For three centuries, the castle was influenced by the Malatesta, who transformed it from a fort into a majestic castle. They completed the surrounding walls, erected new towers, walkways, and the armory.

After the surrender of Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta and his son Roberto, Giovanni Francesco Guidi di Bagno received the title of count in 1464 by a pontifical bull in recognition of his contribution to the defeat of Sigismondo. The Guidi di Bagno conserved the territory of Montebello until 1797, the year of the Napoleonic decree on the abolition of feudalism, holding the rank of marquises from 1549. The family remains the owners of the castle today.

The noble family maintained ownership of the residence, which suffered damage during the Second World War, and carried out radical restorations in 1989. The medieval period survives in the massive keep, feudal prisons, secret passages, and defensive trabocchetti. The salone delle feste preserves original furniture, while the cappella gentilizia features a painting of the family saint, Carlo Guidi.

One of the most captivating stories is that of Guendalina Malatesta, a five-year-old albino girl who disappeared on the day of the summer solstice in 1375. The so-called corridor of Azzurrina shows the place where, according to legend, she vanished. The manor also houses a collection of jewels, mirrors, portraits of ancestors, a large painted family tree, and a collection of safes and wedding chests.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons